This polymorphic species exhibits much minor variation in the hairiness of culms, nodes, and leaves, and many infraspecific names have been applied. The name Arundinella anomala has been used in the past for plants with glabrous culms and glabrous to moderately hairy leaf sheaths, whereas plants with densely hairy culms and leaf sheaths have been referred to A. hirta. However, the protologue of A. hirta states that the culms are glabrous. In practice, the different combinations of hairiness of culms, nodes, and leaves make a subdivision into two entities impracticable on this character, even at infraspecific rank. Rarely variants occur with setose spikelets, and these can be recognized at varietal rank.